Coding and decoding chart for cryptography



DCC 31, 1945- c. B. sTRoTHER CQDING AND DECODING CHART FOR CRYPTOGRAPHYFiled Aug. 5, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 4 w'l 4 w r 2 7 3 7 Dec. 31, 1946..c. B. sTRoTHl-:R

GODIN@ AND DECODING CHART-FCR CRYPTOGRAPHY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Eled Aug. 3,`1944 U H VR w w s c E F M` r N u A A A .J R W L V H k M F A D s c 52 Lx f. I H c E A .J V .N

J M F L A E U D VA H Patented Dec. 31, 1946 CODING AND DECODING CHARTFOR CRYPTOGRAPHY Charles B. Strother, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor ence H.Forster, Dayton,

of one-.half to Lawr Ohio Application August 3, 1944, Serial No. 547,894

1 Claim.

. 1 Y This invention relates to an improvement in devices for use in thepractice of cryptography, having for an object to provide a compact,conveniently operable and uncomplicated device,

whereby the characters employed in the formation of a code compositionor message may be quickly and accurately visually translated into theparticular intelligence represented or symbolized thereby.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a novel device, such asindicated, especially useful in the rapid and sure decoding of a codedcomposition, wherein, as the composition is reproduced or visuallypresented thereupon, its translation into conventional intelligence willbe concurrently visually effected. i l

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a device capable ofuse as a master coding or decoding means, enabling a user of the same toso adjust the symbol bearing elements thereof as to correspond inarrangement or relative ldisposition'to those of a secondary separate orindividual decoding device, whereby theV accuracy oi the codecomposition presented or eiected upon the latter may be checked orveriiied, and moreover, whereby the particularly. displayedcodecomposition of` said secondary decoding device may be quickly andaccurately decoded through its use, or the. code composition providedinstrumentality (an admission ticket, receipt, etc.) may be quickly andcorrectly translated.

In order that my invention and its advantages and merits may be betterunderstood by workers skilled in this art, the following wordillustration of one mode of usage thereof, is ofiered.

It is quite customary, in the sale of admission tickets, to identify theissued tickets by presenting thereon, at an appropriate place,consecutive numerals or other suitably designated media. In this manner,the total sales of such tickets for a, given period of time may beaccurately determined, and thus, the cash or money intake represented bythe aggregate sales thereof, ascertained. Such information is both vitaland necessary. Nevertheless, for various reasons which need not be hereexplained, it is undesirable that the number of tickets sold over anyperiod of time shall be capable of determination by unauthorizedpersons.

Through, the medium of my invention, tickets issued say, by a theatre,etc..may be individually identified in the consecutive order of theirissuance, by suitably codified intelligence, either in the form ofletters, numerals, or otherpsymbols or combinations thereof, appliedthereto.

When it is desired to effect the counting of such identified tickets toascertain the total number thereof sold, for any selected period oftime, the codified intelligence carried bythe tickets is decoded. Forthe accurate, convenient and quick accomplishment of such decoding andcounting or auditing, as well as the positive verification of the same,my improved master and secondary devices are provided.

The foregoing, as well as otherv objects, advantages, and meritoriousteachings of the invention, will be in part obvious and in part pointedout in the following detailed disclosure thereof, when taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, it being understood that theparticular form of the invention presented herein is a precise and, whatis now considered to be.- the best mode of embodying its principles, butthat modifications and changes may be made in speciiic embodiments,without departing from its essential features.

in the drawings:

Figure 1 is a face view of my improved coding" and decoding device.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1,looking in the direction in which the arrows point.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal` section through the device shown in Figure1, takenon a plane at substantially right angles to that in which Figure2 is taken and having its intermediate portion broken away.

Figure 4 is a face view of ondary or decoding device.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 5 5 of Figure 4,looking in the direction in which the arrows point, and

Figure 6 is a longitudinal section through the device shown in Figure 4,taken on a plane at substantially right angles to that in whichFigmaster the improved1 sec- `ure 5 is taken and having its intermediateportion broken away.

In` a prefatory sense, it may be stated that I have herein shown twoforms or adaptations of my invention, one being a master or key codingand decoding chart, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, inclusive, and the otherbeing an individual or secondary decoding chart, as shown in Figures 4to 6, inclusive.

Having more particular reference to the drawings, in connection withwhich like characters of reference will designate corresponding partsthroughout, the construction of the master or key chart, shown inFigures 1, 2 and 3 o f the drawings, comprises a supporting or retainingversely disposed lines, dividing the same into jux- Y Y taposed andaligned columns of blocks or frames, each of which has a circular orotherwise suitably shaped window 6 formed therein. Also, said blocks orframes are provided with inscribed or suitably presented transverselydisposed rows of indicating numerals 'I or other appropriate symbols.Other circular 0r suitably shaped windows 8 are formed in the upper endportion of the'face wall panel, in relative transversely aligned andspaced relationship, and yas will be noted upon reference to Figure l ofthe drawings, these windows are individually associated or juxtaposedwith each of the transverse rows of theaforesaid blocks, or frames.

The'lower panel portion of the face wall 2 has a plurality of relativelyparallel and equi-spaced slots, generally indicated by the numeral 9,formed therein, while'the adjacent or near portion of the panel hasrelatively transversely disposed and spaced lines ruled or otherwisepresented thereacross, providing a plurality of longitudinally andtransversely aligned blocks` or frames, each of which have numerals Illor other characters or symbols arrangedtherein. Y

Code character provided elongated strips of substantially flat rigid orat least stable material, generally indicated by the numeral II, areAslidably received within the supporting body I, i. e., received thereinvia its open and normally outer end and arranged infabutting juxtaposedrela` tion, as shown in Figure 3 of the drawings. Since each of theseelongated flat strips II are of corresponding formation andconstruction, reference is hereinafter had to but one of the same; itbeing understood that such reference will suiiice for all thereof.

The strip II has pairs or sets of transversely juxtaposed letters I2 andnumerals I3, or other desirable or suitable symbols, presented upon itsface side, particularly, that Side of the same adn jacent the face wall2 of the supporting body I. These pairs of letters and numerals I2 andI3, it will be seen, are provided upon the normally upper or outerportion of the strip I vI and are arranged thereupon in equi-spacedrelation.

The normally lower or inner end portion of the strip I I isprovided-upon its face side with longitudinally disposed equi-spacedletters I4, or other appropriate symbols, and adjacent each of suchletters, circular or otherwise shaped openings, generally indicated bythe numeral I5, are formed therein.

With slldable reception of the strips II in the aforesaid juxtaposedrelation within the supporting body I, the letters I2 thereon arenormally Vadjacent to and exposed through the Window 6 in the upper ornormally outer end portion of the face wall 2, while the numerals I3 areadapted, at times, to be aligned with and'exposed through the particularwindows 8 formed in the face wall yi. and aligning therewith.

To facilitate longitudinal sliding adjustment or movement of the stripsIi with relation to the supporting body I and to each other, it is to beunderstood that a suitably pointed instrument (not shown) is selectivelyengaged in any one of the openings I5 in the normally lower or innerportions of said strips, through the particular slot 9 longitudinallyaligning therewith o-r overlying the same. Thereupon, force in thedesired direction is imparted to the thus engaged strip or strips I Iand it or they are slid outwardly until the said engaged instrumentcomes into abutting contact with the upper or normally outer end of theparticularly adjacent slot Il. And at said time, the engaged strip I Iwill be moved to a predetermined position so that certain or preselectedletters and characters I2 and I 3, upon its upper portion, will beexposed through the windows 6 and 8, respectively. In this manner, themaster or key coding and decoding chart is operated or used to produceor reproduce thereupon some certain orparticular code, and especially,the particular code provided the individual or secondary decoding chart,shown by Figures 4 to 6, inclusive, of the accompanying drawings.

Because of the relative arrangement of characters upon the strips I Iand their individual adjustabilities within the supporting body I, itwill be seen that the master or key chart may be so adjusted or workedas to permit the formation of various codes, corresponding or related tothe particular individual or secondary decoding chart which is to be ormay be tested or verified thereby.

Having reference now to the individual or secondary decoding chart whichis to be or may be tested or veried thereby.y

Having reference now to the individual or secondary decoding chart,illustrated in Figures 4 to 6, inclusive, of the accompanying drawings,it will -be noted that the same substantially corresponds inconstruction to the construction of the master or key chart, abovedescribed. To this end, the individual or secondary decoding chartconsists of a supporting body I', including face and rear walls 2and 3',an end wall Il and side walls 5', the normally outer or upper end of thesupporting body being open. Transversely disposed rows of relativelyequi-spaced windows 6 and 8' are formed in the normally upper or outerend panel portion of the face wall 2 and, as will be observed uponreference to Figure 4 of the drawings, these several rows of windows 6and 8 are so positioned that their individual windows are relativelystaggered.

The normally lower or inner panel portion of the face wall 2 has aplurality of longitudinally disposed relatively parallel and equi-spacedslots or ways 9 formed therein, the lengths of which correspond witheach other, while transversely ruled or otherwise presented lines areprovided upon said portion of the face wall in equi-spaced and relativeparallel relationship, thus, providing a plurality of transversely andlongitudinally aligned blocks or frames, each of which has anappropriate letter Ill or other symbol therein and upon an adjacentportion of the'face wall.

Strips I I are slidably received within the supporting body I via itsopen normally upper or outer end and are arranged therein,' as shown inFigure 6, in juxtaposed or abutting relation.

Pairs oi' transversely juxtaposed letters I2 and numerals I3,` or otherappropriate symbols, are suitably presented upon the face sides of eachof the strip-s I I in longitudinally equi-spaced relationship forportions o1 their respective lengths,

While other portions, i. e., the normally lower or inner end portions ofsaid strips have longitudinally aligned and relatively equi-spacedopenings l5 formed therein.

Assuming that the juxtaposed and slidably received strips l I arearranged Within the supporting body l', in the manner shown in Figure 6oi the accompanying drawings, it will be understood that certain of theletters l2 of the aforesaid transversely juxtaposed pairs will bearranged adjacent to and exposed through the particular window orwindows E' longitudinally aligning therewith, whereas certain of thenumerals I 3 of said transversely juxtaposed pairs will be ad jacent toand exposed through the particular window B' longitudinally alignedtherewith. Also, it will be seen that the longitudinally disposed andrelatively equi-spaced openings I5' formed in the normally lower orinner end portions of each of said strips ll', will be aligned with theparticularly adjacent longitudinally disposed slot or way 9 in thenormally lower or inner end panel portion of the face wall 2' of thesupporting body I'. Hence, by engaging a suitable instrument (not shown)in a particularly selected opening I5 of any one of the strips Il',sliding movement may be imparted to the thus engaged strip Il in orderthat it may be slid within the supporting body i' to a certainpredetermined position, whereat, particularly desired letters l2 andnumerals I3' may be aligned with and exposed through the longitudinallyaligned windows 6' and 8', respectively, provided in the normally upperor outer end panel portion of the face wall 2.

By slidably adjusting the symbol-bearing strips Il to predeterminedpositions within or with respect to the supporting body I', it will benoted that a letter code will be exposed through the windows 6' of theface wall 2', while the particular numerical or other intelligencerepresented by said code will be concurrently presented adjacent to andexposed through the aforesaid windows 8. Thus, with the formation of apre-selected code adjacent to and exposed through the windows 6 of theface wall 2', a decoding of the same will be concurrently effected andexposed or displayed through the windows 8 of said face wall 2'.

It will |be manifest to workers skilled in this particular art that theshape and size of the several supporting ibodies l and l', may` bechanged or modified, as may be the symbol bearing strips ll and ilslidably received therein. It is entirely feasible and practical thatthe supporting body, instead of being flat, may be circular or curved orof any other particularly desired or elected formation, provided only asthe same permits of the slidable reception and juxtapositioning of thesymbol bearing strips therewithin in a fashion whereby they may beindividually moved or adjusted to certain or pre-determined positions toprovide or eiect certain pre-selected codes.

I claim:

A device of the character described, comprising a substantiallyrectangularly shaped body having a chamber in and disposedlongitudinally of the same opening onto the normally upper end thereof,the normally upper portion of the face side of said body havinglongitudinally arf ranged columns of relatively equi-spaced windowsformed therein, the windows of said col umns being transversely alignedand relatively spaced, portions of the body face side in proximity toeach of said windows having appropriate symbols presented thereon, aportion of said body face side in proximity to the open upper end of thechamber in the body having a plurality of transversely arranged windowsformed therein corresponding in number to said columns of windows, saidtransversely arranged windows being individually offset positioned withrelation to said longitudinally arranged columns of windows, thenormally lower portion of said body face side having a plurality oflongitudinally extending equi-spaced and relatively parallel slotsformed therein each extending upwardly into proximity to the lower endof the body face side upper portion and downwardly into proximity to thelower end of the normally lower portion of the body lface side, saidslots corresponding in number to the number of columns of windows in thenormally upper portion of the body face side and laterally oiset withrelation thereto and the normally lower portion of the body face sidehaving longitudinally arranged columns of equi-spaced symbols presentedthereon between said slots, and a plurality of juxtaposed flatstrip-like elements corresponding in number to said columns of windowsand slots slidable within the body chamber through its open upper end,each of said elements having a plurality of openings formed in theirnormally lower portions disposed longitudinally of the same andrelatively spaced to substantially correspond to the spacing between thesymbols on the normally lower portion of the body face side, and thenormally upper portions of said elements each having a plurality oflongitudinally arranged symbols presented on their face sides relativelyspaced to correspond to the spacing between the columns of windows inthe normally upper portion of the body face side and selectivelyregistrable therewith. l CHARLES B. STROTHER.

